A few dozen students mobilized in favor of the Palestinians decided to once again occupy a Sciences Po Paris building on Thursday evening. The day before, young student activists had already taken over the site on rue Saint-Guillame before being expelled by the police.
“Even if Sciences Po doesn’t want to, we are here. For the honor of Palestine and all those who are murdered”, sang the students gathered peacefully in front of the headquarters of the prestigious school. After the gates of the historic building of the establishment, located rue Saint-Guillaume, closed at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday evening, an AFP journalist was able to note the presence of around 80 students in the street, encouraging and bringing pillows and food to their comrades who remained inside the premises after the vote for a new occupation decided at a general assembly.
Between 50 and 70 students are likely to be present in this building, according to young activists or supporters of the Palestine Sciences Po committee contacted by AFP. The committee demands in particular “the clear condemnation of Israel’s actions by Sciences Po” And “the end of collaborations” with all “institutions or entities” accomplices”of the systemic oppression of the Palestinian people“. He also calls for an end to “the repression of pro-Palestinian voices on campus”.
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On Wednesday evening, around sixty students committed to the Palestinian cause occupied the outdoor amphitheater of a school campus in the 7th arrondissement. “After discussions with the management of Sciences Po, most agreed to leave the premises“in the night, but”a small group of students nevertheless refused and it was decided that the police would evacuate the site.” the management of the establishment indicated Wednesday morning in a message to AFP. She “regrets that the numerous attempts at dialogue so that they leave the premises peacefully have not made it possible to find another way out of this situation”.
Around ten tents were set up in the courtyard of this campus on Wednesday evening, according to testimonies collected by AFP. When the police arrived, “50 students left the premises on their own, 70 were evacuated peacefully from 12:20 a.m.”, according to the police headquarters, which does not deplore “no incident“.
This mobilization was organized by the Palestine Committee of Sciences Po. It took place while several American universities are caught in the turmoil caused by the conflict in Gaza. According to the Palestine Sciences Po Committee, its activists were “worn outside of school by more than fifty members of the police” And “one hundred” of police officerswas also waiting outside. “There is a double degree between Science Po and Columbia (in New York), so we have classmates there and the students communicate with each other.” explained Hicham, member of the Palestine Committee at Sciences Po.We place ourselves in the same line as these universities all over the world.“.
Again on Thursday, 150 to 200 students, notably from Paris 1 University, demonstrated at Place du Panthéon to protest against the arrival of President Macron for a speech on the European Union at the Sorbonne, AFP noted. “We refuse to allow Macron to come quietly to the Sorbonne at a time when there is a genocide in Palestine”, Lorélia Fréjo, of the student organization Le Poing Levé Paris 1, told AFP.